Consecutive annual mowing reduces soil respiration and increases the proportion of autotrophic component in a meadow steppe

文献类型： 外文期刊

第一作者： Zhu, Wen

作者： Zhu, Wen;Legesse, Tsegaye Gemechu;Dong, Xiaobing;Li, Aogui;Shi, Ziyue;Tong, Qi;Shao, Changliang;Liu, Weixing;Dong, Xiaobing

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关键词： Carbon allocation; Clipping; Microbial biomass; Microbial respiration; Plant biomass; Root respiration

期刊名称：ECOLOGICAL PROCESSES （ 影响因子：3.9； 五年影响因子：5.4 ）

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年卷期： 2024 年 13 卷 1 期

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收录情况： SCI

摘要： BcakgroundSoil respiration (Rs), as the second largest CO2 emissions of terrestrial ecosystems, is sensitive to disturbance and consequent environmental changes. Mowing is strategically implemented as an management approach and has the potential to influence carbon cycling in meadow steppes. However, it remains unclear how and why Rs and its heterotrophic (Rh) and autotrophic (Ra) components respond to consecutive mowing and associated ecological consequences. Here, we conducted a field mowing experiment in a meadow steppe in 2018 and monitored Rs, Rh, and Ra from 2019 to 2022.ResultsWe observed a significant reduction in Rs by 4.8% across four years, primarily attributed to a decrease in Rh. This decline in Rs intensified over time, indicating an accumulative effect of mowing. In addition, mowing induced an generally increasing Ra/Rs ratio over the experimental years with a simultaneous increase in the ratio of belowground to aboveground biomass (BGB/AGB). Furthermore, structural equation modeling results revealed that the decline in Rs was largely ascribed to reduced microbial biomass carbon (MBC) under mowing, while the increased Ra/Rs was primarily explained by the enhanced BGB/AGB. Partial regression analysis suggested that the biotic factor of microbial biomass dominated changes in soil respiration induced by mowing rather than abiotic soil temperature.ConclusionsOur findings showed that consecutive mowing decreased Rs and raised Ra/Rs in meadow steppe by decreasing plant biomass and altering the proportion of biomass allocation. This observed decline in Rs would help to reduce CO2 concentration in atmosphere as well as alleviate global warming. However, considering the concurrent lower microbial biomass, the potential positive impacts of mowing on climate and ecosystem function should be reevaluated in future grassland management practices.

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